The Work Behind...Davide Zappacosta

Davide Zappacosta is the latest player to tell us what he does behind the scenes on a normal day at Cobham...

On a typical day, what time do you get to Cobham, and what do you do before training begins?

The manager usually gets everyone there an hour beforehand. But I try to arrive an extra 30 minutes earlier to have breakfast and spend some time in the gym so that I can work on my physique to be better equipped to play in this league, which is certainly more physically demanding and difficult than the league in Italy. So, I get in earlier to do some work in the gym before going out on the pitch with the rest of the team.

What do you have for breakfast?

I usually have breakfast here and I tend to have toast with some cold cuts, ham, and a bit of fruit; and of course, a coffee which you always need to stay wide awake!

Do you always wear the same kit for training?

I try to put on the thickest kit I can. So, I make sure that I cover up as much as possible. I wear a hat, gloves, I usually wear a full tracksuit with long bottoms, a waterproof…I basically put on as much kit as possible to make sure that I don’t feel the cold.

Is there anything unusual about your boots? Special size? Like them tight?

No, I normally just wear the boots which I am sent, there is nothing particular about them and there is nothing special on them. They are just normal boots.

How many pairs of boots/gloves do you get through in a season?

I would say that I probably get through more than 20 pairs of boots in one season.

What are your optimum training conditions weather wise?

The perfect temperature for me would be neither too hot nor too cold, somewhere in between. For example, a day when there is a bit of sun, but it is not too hot would be ideal for a good training session.

Do you do extra work inside after training, and if so, what?

Well it depends: if I have played a match then I will go to the swimming pool and do some recovery work in the cold pool, but if I have not played and have not had time to go to the gym before training, then I will stay behind after training and do some work in the gym.

Do you do yoga?

Yes, every now and then I do yoga. Especially when you have just played it helps you to relax and to recover your strength after the game.

Zappacosta collecting his Christmas lunch in the Cobham canteen

What do you normally eat for lunch?

Well we also have lunch here in Cobham because training finishes around lunchtime. I tend to stick to the same things, so I will have a bit of salad, pasta and then some white meat or fish, depending what is on the menu.

Does it change as a match gets closer?

I eat the same things more or less, although I might alter what I eat slightly. The day before a game I will try to avoid eating greens because it would seem that they bloat the stomach and so are not the best thing to eat before a game. For as far as everything else is concerned then I would say that I eat the same things.